Hometown Healing RMT

12/21/2025

Client Communication; Holiday Office Closure Notice

Hi Clients,

I will be unavailable during the holiday season to allow time for rest and family!

My office will be closed from December 22 through January 4. Regular scheduling and responses will resume when I return to office January 5th.

Thank you for your understanding, and I wish you all a very happy and restful holiday season!

Kelsey

12/15/2025

Clinical reasoning in progress…coherence not guaranteed 😅 Case Study #1/8 officially submitted!

12/07/2025

ISO: The Best Pillow!!

One of the most common questions I get in the clinic is, “What pillow should I be using?”And the honest answer is… it depends on how you sleep!

For side sleepers, a firmer, higher pillow usually offers the best support, paired with a pillow between the knees to keep the hips and spine aligned.

For stomach sleepers, a softer, lower pillow helps prevent excessive neck strain.

For back sleepers, I often suggest a supportive, memory foam type pillow, and placing a pillow under the knees to help support the low back.

Prioritizing quality sleep is one of the most underrated parts of recovery. As we get older, investing in a good pillow makes a noticeable difference for decreasing pain, offering extra comfort while we rest.

If you have a must-have, top pillow recommendation, drop your suggestion in the comments! Those in search of will gladly appreciate it!

12/03/2025

I officially received my Student Manual Osteopathic Therapist registration with the Canadian Massage and Manual Osteopathic Therapists Association , along with education, competencies, and student insurance support from Manual Osteopathic College of Canada, ensuring that I am integrating Manual Osteopathy skills safely and correctly.

I also recently renewed my annual Natural Health Practitioners of Canada (NHPC) professional association membership for liability and insurance coverage for Massage Therapy and Myofascial Release.

These credentials protect your safety through recognized insurance and high professional standards, as well as support my commitment to ongoing education and ethical, evidence informed practice. This is also an important step towards my journey of becoming a dual-designated health practitioner, adding an additional billing number for client insurance reimbursement.

Thank you for allowing me to keep doing what I love, and for trusting me as I learn to improve!

Kelsey

11/24/2025

As I move through my MOT training, I have started to integrate assessment practice into my sessions. Beginning this week, I may need a few minutes at the start of your appointment to practice specific MOT assessments and techniques. This portion is completely optional, and I’ll always check in with you first if you have the extra time.

I currently have a 30 minute gap between sessions, which gives me 10–15 minutes of available time to build in this practice. Using this time helps me meet my required student hours while also giving you a gradual introduction to the MOT approach.

Each module introduces new material, and I’m noticing a shift toward needing longer appointment times to properly integrate hands-on practice (without running behind, heading back to back into client sessions, or leaving all my laundry and charting for the end of the day….a clear indication that I am not ready, but have decided to start anyway!!) I’ll continue to do my very best to stay on time for all scheduled appointments as I squeeze in extra practice.

Starting in January, I’ll be offering the book-ahead option to add extra time to your appointment for MOT assessment/treatment at no additional charge!

Having extra time built into certain appointments will be essential as I continue developing new skills on real clients (which is ultimately the most effective way for me to learn!)

Thank you so much for your patience, flexibility, and continued support as I move through this next phase of my training. I’m genuinely excited to continue growing and sharing this work with you.

Kelsey

11/21/2025

Day 1 of our Osteoarticulation Module was a huge learning day! I left feeling humbled and energized by how connected the human body truly is!

We reviewed how the body adapts to biomechanical stress, from small acute issues to long term patterns that affect spinal motion. It was fascinating to see how one restriction, like L5 not moving well, can create a chain of lumbosacral or pelvic shifts that lead to adaptive (or non-adaptive) compensations throughout the entire body, sometimes showing up far from where the original issue began.

We also practiced assessments that help identify the true source of a restriction. Comparing standing and seated pelvic heights, or using a straight leg raise can quickly show whether something is related to muscles, ligaments, or deeper joint mechanics. I cant wait to practice these assessments on all of you and experience the new insights we will both recieve.

Massage Therapy gave me a strong skillset in understanding the musculoskeletal system and soft tissues. Manual Osteopathy builds on that knowledge by looking much deeper into how the whole body functions together. Learning how fascial pulling patterns, structural imbalances, and even breathing mechanics can influence organ function and overall fluid movement has been so eye opening!!Seeing how all these systems connect gives me a much clearer picture of what the body is trying to adapt to.

The body has an incredible ability to rebalance when the right area is supported, and understanding Manual Osteopathic Therapy a little more each day makes me even more passionate about sharing this treatment approach!

Now that I’ve had time to reflect and process what we’ve covered today, it’s time to decompress and rest up for Day 2 tomorrow. I’m so grateful for this training and excited to keep learning and sharing!

🙏🏼🤠

Kels

11/19/2025

I finally broke up with my toxic printer!

It had more red flags than that multiple-choice portion of my exam 😆

Now I’ve got this humble little EcoTank ET-2400 and my PDFs are printing so well, my ink stays full, and I’m not dealing with paper jam frustrations and rage refreshing the print queue at 11:47pm anymore!

Ahhh the student life. I’m heading into the next module feeling much more grounded and prepared. Affordable, reliable printing absolutely counts as self-care.

🤠

11/15/2025

Practical Exam Update!

You know when you’re in an exam and you start visualizing your notes to remember an answer?

Part 1 was going great until I completely BLANKED on one piece of information at the very end of a Global Assessment. (Truly the worst feeling ever lol.) Later I realized that I didn’t include that detail in my final review guide after compressing my study notes. (Lesson learned!) Luckily, one single word hint brought everything right back because I had been practicing it.

Part 2? I nailed it!

My goal going into the practical wasn’t perfection. My goal was to actively recall every “important thing” I’d put in my study guide and have a clear understanding of key concepts.

So honestly, I’m really relieved, and proud of how well I did!!

For the next practical, I’m reminding myself not to rely so much on mentally flipping through my notes to manage my nerves, and instead trust the flow of how I’m practicing it in clinic.

Now it’s on to the theory exam. Totally different kind of pressure, but I’ve been studying every day. I already know there’ll be a mistake or two with multiple choice. After a while, MC questions start to fry my impulsive and indecisive brain with all the mixed-up wording! Give me all the long and short answers and watch me recite paragraphs. 😝

Wish me luck for this afternoon, and let me know (for next time) in the comments if you have any tips for studying for MC questions ha!

A few minutes to finalize my set up, caffeinate, and then focus in…

LET’S GOOO Round 2, Theory Exam 1!

🤠

Kelsey

11/12/2025

Today is another important milestone in my manual osteopathic training!

One more day to practice & review with my classmate cohort in Moose Jaw.

My first Practical Exam this evening!

🎓💆🏻

11/10/2025

🤠👍👍

NEW MEMBER ALERT 🚨

The Chamber is excited to welcome Hometown Healing RMT - Kelsey B., Registered Massage Therapist, Myofascial Release Practitioner, and Manual Osteopathic Student, to our membership!

Kelsey brings a wealth of knowledge and a passion for holistic, client-centered care to the community. She has recently been accepted into the Diploma of Osteopathic Manual Practice program at the Manual Osteopathic College of Canada (MOCC) for the 2025–2026 academic year.

While Kelsey’s books are currently closed until December 31, 2025, you can follow Hometown Healing RMT on Facebook for updates and future appointment availability.

Welcome to the Chamber, Kelsey — we’re thrilled to have you as part of our business community!

11/10/2025

You might hear me use the phrase “listening to the fascia” during a myofascial massage. I want to explain what that means in simple terms, so you know what I’m doing and why it matters! Especially to those who are new to MFR, or have never received this type of manual therapy before.

Fascia is the connective tissue that surrounds, protects and supports muscles, bones, organs, neurovascular bundles, etc. It is our biological wrapping material! It is full of sensory nerve endings, which means it responds to pressure, stretch, and movement. When fascia gets tight or restricted, it can limit movement and create discomfort.

During your session, I am not just pressing or stretching randomly. I am paying very close attention to how your tissues respond to my touch. This is what “listening” looks like:

- When I first make contact, I notice the initial feel of the tissue. Does it feel soft, firm, guarded, or tight?
-As I apply slow, steady pressure, I watch for changes. Does the tissue begin to soften and release, or does it hold on and resist?
- I also pay attention to things like warmth, subtle shifts in texture, or changes in your breathing. These signs tell me what your nervous system is doing!

When the tissue starts to soften, it means your body is feeling safer and is letting go of tension. If the tissue stays rigid, it usually means the body is still protecting itself. In that case, I slow down, lighten up, or adjust my approach so the body can relax instead of fight.

This is why myofascial massage is often gentle and unhurried. The goal is not to force the body to release. (No pain, no gain does not work well with my approach…Fascia is stronger than we are!) The goal is to create the conditions where the body chooses to release on its own.

So when I say I am “listening,” I am observing your bodies response, and letting your tissue guide my work. I am communicating with your nervous system.

My job is to pay close attention to very subtle changes using assessment & palpation-based observational skills (grounded in advanced anatomy and physiology concepts). Sorry it is not “magic hands”, 😉 I am observing how your whole system responds using biomechanical, circulatory/respiratory, neurological, cellular/developmental, and biopyschosocial models. This simply means that your bodies structure and function can be influenced in many different ways, and I adjust my work based on what I see and feel.

🤠

Never stop learning,

Kels